DESCRIPTION: (Adapted From The Applicant's Abstract.) The objective of this program is to develop a high reliability, high-energy, rechargeable power cell that will be small enough to be incorporated in an in-the-ear (ITE) device and contain adequate power to operate a hearing aid reliably for 1 day, with backup power to operate for an additional 2 days (assuming normal hearing aid usage). The rechargeable cell will last for the entire 3-5 year lifetime of the hearing aid. Included is the design of a simple, reliable charge system that will have minimal maintenance requirements. The hearing aid will normally be placed into the charge receptacle each evening for 6 hours, to be fully recharged by morning. In Phase I, the feasibility of the concept will be established by designing the specific hearing aid cell configuration, modeling the performance of this cell from experimental data, and fabricating a prototype cell device for demonstration of the ability to provide adequate power for the hearing aid over the appropriate discharge time, and to demonstrate the recyclability of the battery at the required charge rate. A solid-state lithium-based technology will be adapted to this hearing aid product.